Vehicle lamp



Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED' STATES ALLEN E. HUFF, or BELLEVUE, c1110 VEHICLE vLAMP K k Application filed October 4, 1924. Serial No. 741,635'. p y

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle lamps and has particular reference to an improved combination signal rlamp which, when used in connection with motor vehicles, is constructed to provide a tail light and a signal light structure of new and improved design. f

' Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a motor vehicle light of the aforesaid character in Which the incandescent bulb employed in illuminating the tail light lens is also employed to illuminate the transparent plate or lens of the signal light.

A further object resides in the provision of a lamp of the type speciiied wherein the signal light casing is mounted upon and detachably connected with a casing of the tail light so as to produce a light, compact and economical structure.

in the provision of a'vehicle light casing including a transparent plate which maybeary the name of the municipality in which the driver of the vehicle resides,y the plate being normally illuminated by the bulb of the tail light but being additionally illuminated by a more powerful source of light intermittently upon the operation of the vehicle so that said plate may be employed in the capacity of a signal or stop lamp. f

With these and other objects in view, kas will appear as the'description proceeds, the invention consists kin the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter to be fully described and pointedout in the appended claim. v

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved lamp comprising the present invention, f

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and n Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of yFigure 3.

Referring more particularly to the details of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the round sheet metal casing 1 of a vehicle tail A further object of the invention rests.

lamp. This casingis provided in itsreai wall 2 with the usual auxiliary arranged socket 3 adapted for the reception of the ordinary incandescent lamp 4 of the type used in connection with lights of this character. The open front of the casing 1 is closed as usual by means of the ordinary colored glass lens 5, kthe rear yof the casing is'provided with the usual bracket 6 remployed to support a licensey tag or plate 7. .They bottom of the 50 casing ly is provided with va glass plate 8,' which covers an opening 9 formed` in said casing so as to permit the light'of the lamp 4 to illuminate the license tag 7, in the cus' tomary manner. Wiring 10 leads yto the y65 socket y3 from any suitable sourcefof elec-A trical energy and is governed `by. the usual switch mechanism (not shown), in `automobile construction. V

Mounted above the casing 1 is a superposed 70 signal casing 11.L Preferably, this casing, y when viewed in front elevation, is of rectangular formation.y .The walls of this kcasing are preferably formed from sheet metal andv areinclinedior flared with respect to each other to produce reecting surfaces upon the interior thereof.. These walls converge toward a socket 12, provided centrally and aX- iallyfin the rear wall 13 of the signal casing, n and rsituated within this socket is yan iii-.'80 candescent bulbg14 of relatively.` increased candlefpoweras yregards the lamp 4.y The open front of the casing 11is yprovided with a glass closure plate'l, upon which'may be impressedor designated inr any suitable way, the name of the municipality in which the driver` of the vehicle resides. Of course, other indicia" maybe employed,'such for example, as the nameofythey manufacturer of the vehicle, orwother'instructive matter ythat ymay 90 be usedttoindicate the contemplated movements of the driver of the vehicle, such for example as the word Stop, Right, Left, Slow, f or the like. The plate v15 is held in place ordinarily by means of a sheet metal band 16, 95y f which surroundsy the bounding edges `of the casing 11 andthe rkplate 15, the band 16 may be tightened in place by means of a screw and nut construction 17. y y

Inorder to normallyilluminate the platef 1700 y ,y o n Vmented candle power with respect to the lamp 4, and is adapted to be intermittently operated, the degree of illumination of the plate 15 may be changed from time to time. Preferably, the lamp 14` is in a circuit which is closed by the operation of the brake pedal ofthe motor vehicle, as is customary in lamps :of this kind.Y Therefore when the vehicle operator is about to stop his machine, the bulb 14'will be energized' sok as to brightly illuminate the plate 15, sothat those following the vehicle will be provided with a visual signal of such character as to indicate the operations of the vehicle upon which the lamp is mounted. This construction is economical from a standpoint of current consumption, requiring no more current than is ordinarily used in connection with. tail and signallights of conventional form.` Y

It is of course within the scope of the invention to integrally form-the casings 1 and 11. However, for simplicity and econoinyin manufacture I have found it preferable to detachably mount the signalr casing 11 upon the tail light casing 1. This is done by pro-y viding the bottom of the casing 11 with flex-4 ible metallic bands 19 which surround the lower halfofthe casing lordinarily'through an arc of more than 180'degrees. The bottoms of the bands 19 are downwardly turnedV and perforated for the reception of'binding devices 20, which upon being tightened servey to frictionally draw the bands 19 around the casing 1 Vand to produce a rmY frictional union between the casings 1 and 11, causing the latter to maintain their .xedirelative positions during the operation ofthe vehicle f and yet will allowthe removal'ofV the casing 11 if such an operationis desired. Thebands` i 19 are of course kprovided with openings 2l so that the latter may also be employed in the capacity of a signal. The principals are carried out by the provision of simple and readily manufactured apparatus, capable of being economically and readily manufactured.

Vhat is claimed is:

Thev combination with a cylindrical tail light casing on a motor vehicle wherein said casing'has the top portion of the peripheral wall thereof provided with an opening and an internally arranged light source, of a signal'light casing arranged above said tail light casi-ng and securely carried by the latter, a light source within said signal casing, said latter casing being shaped to provide flaring side walls and a downwardly inclined bottom wall formed withran opening, said bottom wall being also `shaped te conform to the curvature of the tail light casing so as to surround the opening formed in the cylindrical wall of the latter to register said openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' ALLEN` E. HUFF.

ico

adjacent to the opening in thevbottom of the casing 1 Yso as not to interferewith thecast-i ing of light upon the license tagplate 7.

In view of the foregoing description taken Y in connection with the accompanying sheet indicia bearingplate are illuminated normally by a single incandescentlamp, and:wherein the deoree of illumination of the indicia bearing patemay beivaried from timeto time Vofdrawing it will be seen that-'the presentin-l vention provides a simple and improved 

